This invention relates to devices used to aid in training retriever dogs for use in hunting fowl, and particularly to devices which simultaneously produce an explosive report and throw an object for a dog to locate and retrieve.
Retriever dogs, before being helpful in hunting wild birds, must be properly trained to wait until the game has been shot before running into the zone of danger from the hunter's weapon, and to thereafter find and retrieve the bird which has been brought down. The dogs must also become accustomed to the sound of a firearm being discharged, and associate that sound with retrieving. In the past this has usually meant training during actual hunting, a process possibly dangerous for the dog, or training carried out by two people together, one handling the dog and a firearm, and the other throwing or placing decoys to be retrieved. Another previously known method of training retriever dogs is the use of a device to launch retrievable projectiles from a launcher operable by a single person conducting the training alone.
One previous device designed for such use comprises an elongate cylindrical launcher guide having a chamber for receiving a single manually loaded 0.22 caliber blank cartridge, which is used as an explosive propellant for a projectile, and a central bore extending from the chamber along the longitudinal axis of the guide to a single angularly offset orifice leading outwardly to the surface of the guide. The projectile comprises a tubular metal liner closed at one end and surrounded by a yieldable covering material, the liner and covering material being adapted to slip matingly over the launcher guide to be propelled by expanding gases from the fired cartridge. An "O"-ring in an annular groove on the guide helps seal in propellant gases. A hinge joint connects the base of the launcher guide to a breech-block plate which closes the rear of the chamber and has a handle extending rearwardly from and coaxially with the guide when the chamber is closed and the device is ready for firing. A latch hinged to the base of the launcher guide must also be gripped by the operator during firing to keep the chamber from opening when the propellant charge is exploded.
A major disadvantage of the foregoing prior art launcher is that its operation requires the use of two hands. Thus, it is impossible to simultaneously launch a retrievable projectile and hold the dog being trained. In use, one hand is used to hold the handle and the aforementioned latch, while with the other hand the operator pulls, and then releases, a rod connected to a spring-biased firing pin.
Another major disadvantage of this type of launcher is the awkwardness of using it. Because a significant recoil occurs when the launcher is discharged, it must be held at the operator's side when being discharged. The coaxial alignment of handle and guide make a very strong grip necessary to hold the launcher securely.
Even when the operator is wearing a glove on the hand used to hold this type of launcher, the crude arrangement of the securing latch and handle hinge often results in bruising or laceration of the hand in which the device is held.
A further disadvantage of the previous device is that the single offset orifice leading from the launcher guide bore to the exterior surface of the launcher guide can cause uneven distribution of propellant force to the projectile, causing the projectile to tumble in flight and resulting in an erratic trajectory.
It is most desirable to launch multiple targets in quick succession for the dog being trained to retrieve. Usually a set of three targets is desired, yet the previous type of launcher can launch only one projectile, after which the launcher must be opened, a new propellant cartridge manually inserted and the chamber closed, a process which is too time-consuming to simulate actual hunting conditions.